Versione Italiana – Translation by Paul Rosenberg
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a technology of the future: it is a reality that is already profoundly transforming the labor market. The question we must ask ourselves is whether we are ready to manage this change – or if we risk being overwhelmed by it.
According to the World Economic Forum, AI could eliminate 85 million jobs by 2025, but it could also create 97 million more. Additionally, fifty percent of today’s jobs could be automated by 2055. These numbers are not limited to the technology sector. In fact, they extend to industries such as manufacturing and services. As technology rapidly evolves, both companies and workers are faced with the need to adapt to these changes.
We saw a concrete example of AI’s impact last Tuesday, when the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton, scientists who applied principles of physics to the development of machine learning, a branch of AI. Geoffrey Hinton, who left Google in 2023 to openly discuss concerns about the uncontrolled development of AI, sounded the alarm. According to him, AI could replace professionals in roles such as translators, lawyers or personal assistants, since it “takes away the heavy lifting.” However, it could also go further, radically transforming many professions.
It is therefore clear that the topic of AI is more relevant than ever. Alongside the concerns, however, it is also important to reflect on this technology’s possible positive impacts. A study by McKinsey shows that AI has the potential to increase productivity by between 0.1 and 0.6 percent annually until 2040, improving the quality of work and reducing the gap between less-skilled and more-skilled workers.
An interesting example of the application of AI in Italy is the Savia project in Emilia-Romagna, which uses AI to improve the quality of laws and to promote an ethical culture in the use of new technologies. AI is also being used in the field of taxation to ensure greater equity in the recovery of taxes. These examples demonstrate that AI is not just a tool for efficiency but can also be used for the benefit of the community, provided that it is led by a clear political vision.
However, in order for this positive scenario to become a reality, adequate preparation is necessary. According to INAPP, only a minority of Italian businesses have integrated AI into their own processes, and only two percent of SMEs (small-medium enterprises). Furthermore, many workers do not fully understand the potential of AI. This is a serious problem, because without adequate training neither companies nor workers will be able to take advantage of the benefits that AI can offer.
A significant step forward in this direction was accomplished by the European Union with approval of the AI Act last July. This regulation aims to protect the rights of workers and to ensure that technological innovation technology does not end up being a detriment to people’s dignity.
Here we have arrived at the central question: are we ready to govern innovation or will it be innovation that governs us? The decisions that we make today about work and AI will deeply influence our collective future. Governing innovation means guaranteeing that the fruits of progress are distributed equally, that the new opportunities are accessible to all, and that work remains an experience of dignity and personal fulfillment.
We can’t allow innovation to become a tool of social exclusion. Rather, we must embrace it as an opportunity to redesign the world of work in a more fair and humane way. If we do this, the future of work will not be a threat, but will instead offer the promise of a society where technology and the dignity of work go hand in hand.
The change is already underway. Now it is up to us to decide, with awareness and courage, how we should face it.
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